‘The Lord thinketh on me’
One thing that the past year has taught us, is the fact that circumstances can change dramatically and suddenly. Back on 1st, January 2020, none of us had any idea of what was going to happen. And what can happen on the national and international stage, can also happen to us personally. Our own circumstances can change dramatically. That unexpected phone call relaying bad news about a loved one, the sudden loss of a job, a life-changing accident, ominous blood results at the clinic, can all herald unwelcome change for us.
And this idea comes across in Psalm 40, which is an unusual psalm for a number of reasons. One thing that strikes you is the way it moves from being a song of joyful thanksgiving to a song of deep heart-wrenching despair. Usually, it is the other way round. But not here! The psalmist’s circumstances have changed, they have changed dramatically, and not for the better.
OUR CIRCUMSTANCES
Recently whilst reading, I was struck by verse 17 of this Psalm. Whenever this happens, I always jot down the reference on a list of verses worth revisiting sometime, and I would like to do that with you in this article. Firstly, we need to think about our circumstances. David describes himself in these terms, ‘But I am poor and needy,’ and sometimes it is our circumstances that reveal just how poor and needy we are. This is the case with David. We are not exactly sure what period of David’s life this refers to, but clearly he is in a dark place. The word ‘evils’ in v. 12 refers to troubles, and it is sometimes used of floodwaters. You see, David is surrounded, almost engulfed by trouble, and he is fearful of going under. He knows he is poor and needy.
Now we know something of this in our own lives, don’t we? Sometimes we are just sailing along. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and the sea is calm. Then suddenly circumstances change. Storm clouds gather, the wind picks up, and the waves become menacing. Suddenly, the little boat that is our lives, that once felt so sturdy, begins to feel very flimsy. This is where David was and this where we often are.
OUR GOD
Secondly, we need to think about our God. David says, 'But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me.’ This is a truly remarkable statement, isn’t it? It is remarkable because of who the Lord is. He is the sovereign Lord who made and governs the universe (Ps. 93:1-2; 145:3). It is this God who thinks about us! It is even more remarkable because of who we are. We are but a breath and a shadow (Ps. 144:3-4; Ps. 102:11-12). How many of the great ones of this world think about you or me? Let’s be realistic. They don’t even know we exist, let alone care about our troubles. But the great God of heaven, the Ruler of all things, thinks about little us.
“How many of the great ones of this world think about you or me? Let’s be realistic. They don’t even know we exist, let alone care about our troubles. But the great God of heaven, the Ruler of all things, thinks about little us. ”
Now what does he think? That’s a crucial question, isn’t it? If God’s thoughts toward us are negative, we would be better off him not thinking about us at all. But clearly David is confident, that, despite his own sin (v. 12), God’s thoughts are kindly and gracious, and of course, David is right (Jer. 29:11). We need not fear. God’s thoughts about us are, in Christ, good thoughts, and he cares for us deeply (1 Pet. 5:7). And he doesn’t simply think about us collectively. He thinks about us individually. David says, ‘But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me.’ Oh Christian friend, perhaps you are in the midst of a storm, and you are tempted to think, you’re too small for anyone to notice or care. Be assured, there isn’t a moment of any day, when the Lord isn’t thinking about you. You are very much on his mind.
OUR PRAYER
Thirdly and more briefly, we need to think about our prayer. David says: ‘But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.’ The fact that the Lord thinks upon David, doesn’t simply comfort him in his trials, it encourages him to pray about them. And so it should with us. David knows the Lord is thinking about him, and he knows by experience, that the Lord has been his help and his deliverer in the past. So he prays, “Lord, I know I am on your mind right now. You know my circumstances and you care. So please come and help me. Please deliver me, just as you have done so many times before, and Lord, please don’t delay.”
John Calvin writes,
‘We must never assume that in our afflictions God wearies of us or that we become a burden to him, for in all our miseries he thinks of us.’
So whatever your troubles are today, go to the Lord in prayer, because he is already thinking about you.
